When the door opens, Robins first instinct was to cover up.
But she quickly realized that only 2 people could be interrupting her. One of them was blind, and the other her brother.
And there was no reason to hide from either. Travelling together and sharing rooms afforded little privacy, and they did go swimming nude together in the forest lake when they were younger.
But he did avert his eyes...
Standing firm, Robin kept facing her brother:"I'll make sure to hurry up. The water's not hot enough for a long soak, anyway."
...they are smallish, but you did not have any boobs when you were swimming together...he's just being a gentleman by not staring...
Blushing ever so slightly, after a moment of hesitation, Robin added: "And it would have been proper to knock. If...you know, just in case."
...2 minutes later and he might have found you "relaxing" in the tub...and that would be awkward...
It took Kamali a few awkward moments to respond. Hopefully, Robin couldn't see that he was blushing rather hard at the moment.
Stupid to forget to knock ... I'd been so sure that she'd still be conversing with the Lorrimoor woman that I ignored common decency ... She's probably mortified ...
"My *ahem* sincerest apologies, dear sister. I was ill-mannered. Please let me know when you're done." He made a hasty exit from the washroom, striking his forehead with the palm of his hand as soon as he was out of sight.
Stupid...stupid...stupid
Back in the bedroom, he began his mantras. The familiar phrases always grew soothing with enough repetition.
Robin finishes rinsing, then enters the tub while watching the door. The water feels cold, but is refreshing regardless, and lightly scented with some oil.
She attempts to simply enjoy the bath and stop worrying, but finds herself unable to do so, her mind wandering and restless.
Enduring only a few minutes in the tub, she gets out and drys up.
Still all tensed up. Maybe at night when he sleeps? I'll see.
Wrapping herself in the towel, she makes her way to their room, her hand already on the handle when she thinks better of it and knocks, then shouts through the closed door:"Brother dearest, the bath is all yours. I'll get dressed in a minute, then will find Kendra...join us when you are done!"
Once her brother departs for the bath, Robin will enter their room, and find another set of clothes from her luggage. Dressed again, she'll find her way through the mansion in search of Miss Lorimor, whom she intends to ask regarding the details of the funeral...which was what they came for, after all-
"Thank you. I won't be long."
You find Kendra in the kitchen putting together a plate of small meats and cheeses. "By the sound of your footsteps, I'm guessing that's Robin, right? Did the bath help? I thought you might be hungry after your journey, so I'm fixing a little something."
"Yes, it is me! I suppose I should not be surprised be the accuracy of your hearing..."
But it's good we can talk like this...if I was mute, we would need telepathy to talk...or an interpreter-
Robin comes closer, taking a look at the plate, when suddenly her stomach grumbles:"I suppose there's no use in denying it, now - but I can honestly say that I had not realized how hungry I have grown until I saw the food. You are too kind, Kendra. Can I help somehow?"
Helping, or sitting down, depending on her answer, Robin maintains small-talk, waiting for an opportune moment to ask:"When will the funeral be? I'll need to get my good clothes cleaned before then, if possible. You can't see me, but I'm afraid my current attire is a bit too laissez faire for the occassion."
"Tomorrow morning, at dawn's first light. According to local tradition, everyone meets at the entrance to the Restlands just outside town, and there'll be a procession to the gravesite where Father Grimburrow will say a few words. Afterwards, I'd hoped we'd come back to the house for the reading of the will. It's nothing too elaborate; you remember my father: he cared little for pomp and ceremony for its own sake." She sniffs away a tear.
"I will tell Kamali to make sure we're there in time!", Robin exlaims, wondering for a short moment if she depended too much on him, then shaking the thought and continuing: "You said we were the only ones to arrive so far...no other family? Basically I am asking...if you want someone to walk with you tomorrow, steady you and hold your hand. I am not family, but I can only imagine that walking that path alone would be hard."
Kendra smiles faintly and nods. "That would be ... nice, I think."
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The next morning is rainy, and there's only a few others attending when you arrive at the Restlands entrance. Besides the three of you, there are only six others here: Councilmen Vashian Hearthmount and Gharen Muricar, tavernkeeper Zokar Elkarid and his son Pervin, apothecary Jominda Fallenbridge, and former colleague Adivian Adrissant. The latter just arrived early this morning from Caliphas. He, the two Councilmen, and Kamali serve as pallbearers as your little procession starts the somber walk to the graveyard.
About halfway there, you round a corner to find your path blocked by a dozen surly locals. You recognize their leader as the unhelpful 'gentleman' you met when you arrived in town yesterday. "That's far enough. We been talkin', and we don't want Lorrimor buried in the Restlands. You can take him upriver and bury him there if you want, but he ain't goin' in the ground here!"
Kendra is swift to respond, her sadness swiftly transforming into anger. "What are you talking about? I arranged it with Father Grimburrow. He's waiting for us! The grave's already been - "
"You don't get it, woman. We won't have a necromancer buried in the same place as our kin. I suggest you move out while you still can. Folks are pretty upset about this right now."
"Necromancy!? Are you really that ignorant?"
Slightly squeezing Kendras hand during the second the the thug spoke up, Robin then lets go, interrupting before Kendra can speak up:"Mister Lorrimor was many things, but definitely not a necromancer. Even so, even if you don't believe me, you did not think that through. We bury our people in sacred soil, in the restlands, so that they may find rest, pass on to be judged by Pharasma. If there's any trouble with undead, with spirits, with necromancy, it's always OUTSIDE the sacred grounds us civilized folk burrow our dead in. Now if you were right and Lorrimor was what you think, do you want him here, passing on to Pharasma, or somewhere upriver and his spirit dwelling in this world to take revenge on those who would deny his sacred rest? Think very carefully before you answer - if you are right, your fate may depend on it.", Robin gives the man her most cheerful smile to make perfectly clear that not she was threatening them.
Robin is tensed up, ready to signal her souls to turn visible and rush at the peasants blocking their way...it would not do much except scare them, but that was valuable enough on it's own....albeit Robin would prefer a less flashy resolution, for Kendra's sake.
You see fear in the man's eyes for a moment before his anger rises back to the surface. "You think you can just waltz in here all fancy-like and tell me about OUR customs?!? What gives you the right? Go find another graveyard."
Holding the heavy coffin meant it would be difficult for Kamali to intervene if things turned violent. Hopefully Robin could defuse the situation before it got too ugly.
"Me? No. The keeper of your customs, and of this graveyard, is Father Grimburrow, who is waiting for us at the grave. You are the one who is challenging his authority on the matter, I'm just questioning why based on what little I know about the subject. Shall we fetch him and hear what he has to say? See if he can clear this up?", Robin offers with a subservient tone, then takes a step pointing towards the entrance when she helpfully offers to ask the father to provide spiritual guidance-
The villagers consider for another few seconds, but when you step forward, they sullenly disperse, shooting venomous glances in your direction as they leave. Kendra extends a hand in your direction. "Thank you so much, Robin. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been here." From off to the side with the other pallbearers, you see Kamali give you an approving smile and nod. You also hear the councilmen muttering in disapproval about the "local farmhands of low character."
When Kendra speaks up, Robin feels content to have done something right, but when Kamali smiles and nods, her heart jumps.
The approval of a stranger was nice, but the approval of a big brother? Priceless.
It takes her a moment to realize she is grinning, before getting her facial features back under control and presenting a more fitting, serious expression for the occassion again.
Taking Kendra's hand in hers once again, she gets back into the procession, sharing the councilmens sentiment.
The rest of the procession has no further complications or unpleasantness. One Lorimmor's coffin is lowered into the grave, Father Grimburrow gives a short sermon before inviting anyone else to say a few words. Kendra (fighting back tears) recounts a few of her favorite memories and thanks everyone for coming. Mr Adrissant shares a particularly selfless exploit where the late Professor saved his life, and Councilman Muricar speaks briefly about how much he appreciated the Professor's friendship.
"I last saw the good professor a good while ago. I was travelling, then, trying to learn more about the world, understand what life is all about. And my first meeting with him, I thought him dead. He lay wounded, bleeding, near the entrance of some ruins. The mercenaries he had hired to escort him had decided that the objects they retrieved were worth more than their pay, and meant to leave him for death. I had heard them, and so his time had not come then. It was by chance I was there to save him, and any respectable person would have done the same, but he was thankful all the same. He insisted to travel with me and my dear brother for a while, covering our expenses, learning more about who we are...and I learned so much from him. Mister Lorimmor was a man with many fields of expertise, with life experience, with passion for the things he did. And yet, every day, he would talk about his dear daughter, and how glad he was that he would see her again. I am sad to have learned of his passing, but I am happy for him that he was able to spend his final days the way he wanted to, with his beloved child by his side. He achieve much in his life, but he never forgot the things really important...like family. Thank you for listening."
During much of the speech, Robin had adressed all those present...but in her penultimate sentence, she focuses on Kamali, searching for eye contact...he was her family, now, and she would never want to be without him.
Your words bring a sad smile to Kendra's face, and you see a few of the others nodding. Kamali remains stoic as always, but his eyes reveal that he's moved. Once the ceremony is complete and Professor Lorrimor has been laid to rest, Kendra invites everyone back to her house to share a drink before the reading of the will.
At the appointed time, Councilman Vashian gets everyone's attention and retrieves a scroll case. Showing that the late professor's seal is unbroken, he breaks the wax, opens the case, and retrieves a document and an iron key.
"I, Petros Lorrimor, being of sound mind, do hereby commit to this parchment my last will and testament. Let it be known that, with the exception of the specific details below, I leave my home and personal belongings entirely to my daughter Kendra. Use them or sell them as you see fit, my child.
...
...
"Yet beyond the bequeathing of my personal effects, this document must serve other needs. I have arranged for the reading of this document to be delayed until all principals can be in attendance, for I have more than mere inheritance to apportion. I have two final favors to ask.
"To my old friends Robin and Kamali Weaver, I hate to oppose on you, but there are few others who are capable of appreciating the true significance of what it is I have to ask. As some of you know, I have devoted many of my studies to all manner of evil, that I may know the enemy and inform those better positioned to stand against it. For knowledge of one's enemy is the surest path to victory over its plans.
"And so, over the course of my lifetime, I have seen fit to acquire a significant collection of valuable but dangerous tomes, any one of which in the wrong circumstances could have led to an awkward legal situation. While the majority of these tomes remain safe under lock and key at the Lepidstadt University, I fear that a few I have borrowed remain in a trunk in my Ravengro home. While invaluable for my work in life, in death, I would prefer not to burden my daughter with the darker side of my profession, or worse still, the danger of possessing these tomes herself. As such, I am entrusting my chest of tomes to you, posthumously. I ask that you please deliver the collection to my colleagues at the University of Lepidstadt, who will put them to good use for the betterment of the cause.
"Yet before you leave for Lepidstadt, there is the matter of another favor - please delay your journey one month and spend that period of time here in Ravengro to ensure that my daughter is safe and sound. She has no one to count on now that I am gone, and if you would aid her in setting things in order for whatever she desires over the course of this month, you would have my eternal gratitude. From my savings, I have also willed to each of you a sum of one hundred platinum coins. For safekeeping, I have left these funds with Embreth Daramid, one of my most trusted friends in Lepidstadt - she has been instructed to issue this payment upon the safe delivery of the borrowed tomes no sooner than one month after the date of the reading of this will.
"I, Petros Lorrimor, hereby sign this will in Ravengro on this first day of Calistril, in the year Four Thousand Seven Hundred Seventeen."
"That...was unexpected. And a lot of money left to us for the simple task of returning some books, and looking after someone for a while. To be honest, I would have done both those tasks simply as a favor, without a payment...but obviously I won't disrespect his kindness by refusing it. We'll gladly help you setting things in order, if you would have us, Kendra?"
Robin looks over at Petros daughter, waiting for her reaction.
Those tomes sound interesting. I'll definitely have to make sure they are all in that trunk. And complete. I may need to check them page by page, making sure nothing is missing...i hope most are written in a language I can read...
Kendra nods. "Thank you, Robin. Your kindness in this time of grief is greatly appreciated. Please stay here for a few weeks as I finish settling my father's affairs. The company will be nice, I think."
The chest mentioned in the will is a relatively small object of oak and iron. Inside are four books with delivery instructions - three to Montagnie Crowl, professor of antiquities at Lepidstadt University, and one to Embreth Daramid, a judge at the Lepidstadt Courthouse.
- Manual of the Order of the Palatine Eye
- On Verified Madness
- Serving Your Hunger
- The Umbral Leaves
"We'll provide company, and any help you need settling those affairs. Don't hesitate to ask if there's something you need read or put in writing.", Robin answers.
It would not only be about company, after all.
When there's a chance to check out the book chest, she checks the first page of each, expecting to see if it was readable to her, and hoping to be able to deduce, roughly, the topics she could expect to be covered in the books. Then she'll carry the chest down to their room, taking them out of their container and striking a pose presenting all four of them to Kamali:"Ta-daaaa! Forbidden Knowledge, at our fingertips. Which one do you want to read?"
Kamali visibly recoils at the sight of one of the books. "Serving Your Hunger?!? That's an Urgathoan text!" His massive scythe flashes into existence before he remembers the will and reluctantly dispels it. "Damnit, Robin. Put that one back. And mind the others; their contents are doubtless just as foul."
And THAT's the one I'll read first...thanks, brother!
"Jeez...it's just books. Written words. You know, letters arranged to make sense? You like those, usually. And nobody forces you to read. But whatever, I'll put them back." - ...after I read them...
Maybe her grin is a bit too cheerful, but Robin was not going to be intimidated by a book, of all things. Kamali always told her to read more, so, she would.
Kamali gives Robin a look. "See that you do - WITHOUT reading the blasphemies within." It wasn't that he didn't trust her to do the right thing ... it was just that he knew how her mind worked. What his sister DIDN'T say was usually the most important thing.
Robin stomps with one foot, childishly, annoyed that her brother saw through her:"So boring - YOU are the one all broodish about our mothers gift, and wanting to learn to understand it. You never will if you refuse to read those works really relevant! Face it! Mum was a Necromancer! Urgathoa is the Goddess of Undeath. Do I have to spell things out for you?"
Out of a sudden desire to rebel, Robin throws 'Serving your Hunger' at her brother before stomping off with the other three books.
She places them back in the book chest, locks it, then finds a empty room to indulge in self-pity...I just meant to share in his hobby...be a good sister and let him pick. I did nothing wrong, books are made to be read. Petros was reading them, too. And more people will read them when they are back in Lepidstadt. Just not me, no, little Robin can't handle it. He thinks I'll go and become a cannibal after reading ONE Urgathoan text...I'm not a kid any more damnit...
After a while, Kamali quietly comes in with the other book - securely wrapped in a pillowcase. After locking it in the chest, he stands with his hands clasped in front of him and awkwardly shifts back and forth. "Um ... Kendra said that she'd be alright for a bit, so I was going to go into town, get a drink, and read for a bit. There's a tavern called the 'Laughing Demon' or something that's supposed to be pretty popular among the locals. Um ... did you want to come along?"
Sobbing, Robin lifts her head from between her kness and looks at her brother: "And do what? Sit in a corner quietly and paint with Crayons?" Snivelling, she stops hugging her legs close and sits up: "Sorry. That was not fair - I'm coming. But YOU pick up the tab, and you don't treat me like a little kid in public!"
In large contrast to what you've seen of the town so far, the "Laughing Demon" is brightly-lit and filled with life and laughter. The barkeep looks quite jolly and is busily juggling a few pans as you enter. Currently, there are ten other patrons, including a few council members, the nasty troublemaker from earlier, and three people with 'deputy' badges. Everything on the tavern's menu has a fantastical (and slightly humorous) name .
Patrons
Council Members (two men, one woman)
Talkative human male
Energetic human female
Deputies (two human males, halfling female)
Troublemaker
Drunk human male
Kamali gets a familiar look on his face as he enters the tavern. You've seen it many a time: he's surprised and disapproving but doesn't want to make a fuss. If past experiences are any clue, he'll find a corner table, bury his head in a book, and be completely exhausted from 'socializing' whenever he gets back to Kendra's house.
"Oh, fun place!", Robin states as they enter. Taking a look at her brother told her everything...he would seek out a corner of the place soon(...one day, I'll drag him into some round bar and see him get desperate when he realizes there's no corners...), then read a book sipping on his drink...not just yet, though - she grabs his arm and drags him towards the counter:"Oh, look, Troll Blood? Devil's Seed? No...I'll take Angel's Tears...", clearly, she is excited about the humorous names.
Arriving at the counter, she turns to face Kamali:"You'll stay for at least ONE drink before you sneak into some corner...", then scans the other patrons...the talkative man and the energetic female seemed most fun out of those...so once they had placed their order, she dragged Kamali on over there:"Hi, I'm Robin. This is Kamali. We'll be here for a month or so. Is there anything we absolutely have to see or do around here?"
The man gives you a grin that's just a bit too large. "Well, howdy there, stranger! The name's Pevrin. Pevrin Elkarid. Zokar there is my brother. Lookin' for a good time, huh? Well, I'm your guy! I know this town like the back of my hand, and I'd love to show you around - or if there's anything else that needs doin'. I'm like a jack-of-all-trades. Ain't nothin' ol' Pevrin can't do! Reasonably priced, too - if I do say so myself. And I do!" He laughs uproariously at his joke. "Anyway, what did you say you needed?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The woman gives you a tight smile and nods her head in greeting. "It's nice to meet the two of you. I'm Marta Avanaki. My husband and I own the general store here in town, and you'll probably see our children playing outside when the weather's nice. Where are you from? I heard you were in for the funeral. A tragedy, that. Harrowstone's not safe to go poking around in, you know? Best to leave it be. How's Kendra holding up?"
Robin laughs about his joke, too, if only to be friendly: "Hi Mister Elkarid. We will spend plenty of time in the town itself, getting a tour of the place would spoil the joy of discovering it ourselves - I was honestly more interested in any nearby attractions worth checking out. Stuff outside the town but close enough to be back by nightfall-anything come to mind?"
_________________________________
"Kendra is doing ok. Of course, she's in mourning, but she manages to cope. Her father wasn't the youngest fellow, and his work often seemed dangerous, so maybe she had subconsciously been prepared for this for a while now. If you run the General Store, I'm certain we'll see soon, anyway, I need some supplies...and I think I saw your children play, cute, those...someday I want kids, too! Ah...enough...you mentioned Harrowstone? Why's it not safe? Do tell!", Robin is genuinely interested in the gossip about the place-
Pevrin looks disappointed. "Well, all right, then. But if you change your mind, look me up! I know all the secrets around here, and you won't have much luck on your own, if you don't mind me sayin'. Folks around here keep themselves bottled up pretty tightly, if you know what I mean. Aside from here and the "Outward Inn," there isn't much for attractions. Don't have a lot of time to waste on that sort of thing. Ravengro's not really one o' them big city 'tourist traps.'"
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Marta eagerly listens as you talk about Kendra - and gets particularly excited when you ask about Harrowstone. "The poor dear. I'm sure it's very hard for her. It's good that you and your brother are here for her; you know how grief can sometimes touch folks in funny ways. Best to keep an eye on her - for her own good, you know? And, of course, let me know if there's anything I can do. I'm always happy to help someone in need, so if there's any problems, you just need to ask, all right? Harrowstone ... Bad business, that one. It used to be a prison, you see, and it held all the worst criminals. You can't imagine how horrible they were, believe me. That was before the fire, of course. Never got rebuilt, seeing as it's haunted and all. At night, sometimes you can hear the spirits wailing. Sheriff Hemlock's marked it off-limits on account of the danger. I mean, look at what happened to Lorrimoor! I mean no disrespect to the dead, mind you, but if you go poking around a burnt-out ruin, it's basically your fault if something breaks and a statue falls on you. That's just my opinion of course."
"Oh, we just might! I WANT to learn all the secrets, but it's more fun TRYING to find them. So we'll spend a week or two in the dark just guessing at things, and then we'll come and ask you for help - but if you tell us everything worth finding out up front, then what else would we do the other 3 weeks we are here? You just said it yourself, there's not a lot going on around here- so we appreciate the offer, and may well take you up on it, in a week or two", Robin offers Pevrin a encouraging smile.
______________________________________________________
"Oh, so that is what happened...the letter has not said, and it felt wrong to ask Kendra about the circumstances of Petros demise. I mean, we are here to support her, to help her, not to make her share details about a topic causing her so much grief. So he was looking into Harrowstone and a statue fell on him? - and you say thats a genuine haunted place? A burned down prison? With restless spirits?" Robins eyes glow as she asks, before she turns to Kamali and all but grabs him:"Kamali, I want to go see that place!", turning back to Marta:"It's not dangerous during the day, right? Just at night?"
"Um, I don't think that's a good idea, Robin. Illegally entering a dangerous ruin isn't particularly wise." "i swear ... her obsession with spirits is going to be the death of her ..."
"Oh, of course it's not a good idea, it's off-limits by orders of the Sheriff. So we can't enter. But we can go see it from the outside.", Robin grins at Kamali, then turns to Martha again:"That place sounds dangerous and interesting, and I'd at least like to see where it was that Mr. Lorrimor died. We came all the way here and he was a dear friend...", Robin explains...then suddenly thinks about something else:"You seem knowledgeable about local affairs, Marta! Do you know anything about a Fiddler? Burt was supposedly attacked by his pets while he drove us to Ravengro...he's currently still recovering but will survive...but I was wondering about this Fiddler-person?"
"The Fiddler of Illimarsh? He was one of Harrowstone's worst inmates. He liked to poison people with lich dust, paralyze them, and then play a ditty on his fiddle while stirges drained their blood. He perished in the fire, of course, but his fiddle was never found." Marta gives an ominous chuckle, hoping to scare you. "Spooky stuff, right? And the Fiddler was just ONE of Harrowstone's prisoners. Even if you don't believe in spooks, it's a bad place to be."
Robin shivers for a moment, enjoying the scare-story:"Spooky indeed! And he surely perished? Could he have escaped while it burned down? Maybe the inferno was just a cover-up for a prison break? Or do you think whoever attacked Hank was an imposter, a copy-cat? Oh, your cup is empty..." - gulping down the remainder of her drink, Robin swallows and speaks on:"...oh my, mine is too...Kamali, be a dear and fetch us 2...what do you want, Marta?"
When he is gone, Robin leans in closer:"So is it REALLY really bad? Harrowstone would seem like the place teenagers go to on a dare, trying to be brave and impress their crush - was it only Petros or have there been other incidents in the past?" - she does not put much effort into hiding her intent to see the place for herself.
Marta shrugs dismissively. "It all happened over a decade ago, but I don't remember hearing about there being any survivors. The library might have more information, but it's not something we talk about. Lots of good people died that day." She doesn't seem to want to talk about the prison anymore.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to be nosey! What about the other folks around? As you say, many seem to keep to themselves", Robin cautiously nods towards the troublemaker:"Some also seem to dislike people from the outside visiting. Anything worth knowing? If we're sticking around for a month, I'd prefer not to accidently put my foot in my mouth-"
"Well, Gibbs likes to cause trouble, and you need to watch out for crazy Antrellus, but he mainly stays in the woods. Really, though, we're simple folk. We don't like trouble or anything too disruptive. As long as you're polite and neighborly, most people will warm up to you eventually."
"I am glad to hear that! My brother likes books, but I like people. We travel a lot, and I think a book is the same here, or in Lepidstadt, or wherever else. The words don't change, the content doesn't change...the value of travelling, to me, is in getting to know the people in the places we visit. Learn what sets their space in the world apart from everywhere else. What is important to them, what they hope for and what they fear. See things with their eyes, and if possible, try and walk a day in their shoes- When I first came to this village, I feared we would be outcasts no matter how polite we'd be...thank you for showing me it's not so."
Kamali returns with a pair of Liquid Ghosts. "Here you go, Robin. Barkeep says these are popular."
"Thanks, Brother dearest!", Robin takes the drinks, handing one to Marta, then raising hers:"To the memory of Petros, to his brave daughter, and to new friends!"
"Cheers." After the toast, Kamali begins looking for a quiet place to read. There aren't many options in that regard, but one can still hope for a little relative peace and quiet. Robin seemed to be enjoying herself, so that was something at least. He loved his sister, but her near-constant need for stimulation wore him out easily.
With her brother hiding away in a corner table, behind a book, Robin chats a bit more with the Council Members, then chats some more with the Deputies, staying clear of both the Troublemaker and the Drunkard.
While chatting, she happily drinks, adding to Kamali's tab, and tries to learn more about why Petros even went to Harrowstone - he might have been too curious for his own good, but there must have been a reason he went there.
After all, she simply means to understand why her friend died, if she learns a bit more about the haunted place nearby, thats just a side effect of that.
Rumor
Now and then, if you visit Harrowstone near sundown, you can hear the ghost of the warden's wife wailing and sobbing from somewhere within the ruins. She haunts the prison now, forever mourning her husband and attempting to frighten anyone who intrudes on the prison.
Council Members
Councilman Vashian Hearthmount - uses a lot of horse metaphors and dislikes 'bloody outsiders'
Councilman Gharen Muricar - ladies man and major flirt
Councilwoman Mirta Straelock - motherly type who likes to whistle
Deputies
Deputy Leromar - straw-chewing jock who's fond of mocking intellectuals
Deputy Riff - female halfling tomboy who's constantly juggling a slingstone and cracking dirty jokes
Deputy Vradish - laughs a lot and sometimes talks to the stuffed bear he carries
Finding some of them enjoyable company, Robin chats some more...and drinks some more. One of the Councilman seemed not very keen of Robin, the other seemed a bit too keen...so soon she sat down with the Deputies. Riff's dirty jokes actually were funny - Robin had not heard most of them before, and Mister Bear was a very good listener!
After another couple hours (and another couple drinks), Robin finds her way to Kamali, holding on to the table as she talks to him, lightly swaying:"Sup, dude broder, how are ya' doin'? Dem Drinks are awesome but tavern keepa' aint givin' me any mo'e. Can ya' go fetch me some ghost wahtahmellunie?"
"They say that Harrowstone's executioner still guards the execution balcony on the western side of the prison, and that on some nights, his scythe can be seen patrolling the balcony on its own, as if carried by an invisible spirit."
"Stories that Harrowstone is haunted are just that - stories. The ruins are still dangerous, but what folks think are ghosts are only the nasty vermin that live there."
Kamali wearily looks up from his book. What time was it, anyway? It felt like they'd been here for HOURS. Looking at Robin (and the moon shining through the window), that might actually be true.
"Actually, dear sister, I think it's best that we go check on Miss Kendra. And I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind sleeping in a comfortable bed for a change."
He knew better than to comment on her inebriated state. Robin had a temper at the best of times, and when her inhibitions were lowered, it was even more likely to 'flare up.' And based on what he'd seen from the locals, that was something he'd do well to avoid.